The Sunshine State
by KoiBlossom
Summary: California. The Sunshine State. But everyday isn't so sunny when you have work to do. Sometimes your life is at risk, or others lives. Want to know the best part of everyday? Seeing his face.
1. I am Susannah Simon

Carmel, California

I am so tired of Carmel, California. Who names a city close to a name of a flavor of candy anyway? Total idiots anyway. Moving here with my mom has been a real bust so far. I've been bombarded with stepsiblings, a new town, and a new school! On top of that I have the weirdest feeling about this place. It seems like people skim over their problems here. They seem to avoid all the bad and move on with their nice tan legs and preppy blonde hair. I must be quite the awkward one with brown hair and green eyes, plain if you ask me. But, of course, no one asks me because I've just moved here! Enough of my ranting, welcome to my world.

Here is the memo, Susannah Simon, 16, average teenager, well not so average. I can see dead people. Yes, you heard me right, dead people, but not like the sixth sense of anything. I can see spirits who have not passed on. They aren't creepy or anything, well not always. They usually need some type of help, finding a loved one or telling somebody something they didn't have the chance to. I do it because It's the right thing to do. Pssh, I do it because they won't stop bugging me if I don't. It's called being a mediator, and it's something I'm good at. Something that I can never give up, something that will stick with me for the rest of my life.


	2. Monday First Day of Carmel, California

Monday: First Day of Carmel, California

"Ugh…" I moan as I roll over in my bed. "It feels like I'm rolling over in my grave." I swear I'm going to have to get on Andy about these living arrangements. A girl just can't live on rock and sheet.

"Susannah!" my mom shrieks upstairs.

"What?" I respond nonchalant, not so happy about her early morning excitedness.

"Come downstairs! Andy cooked us breakfast! Can you believe that Suze? Breakfast!" she said even more excited than the first time.

"Ugh." Moaning once again, unimpressed. Its not like I don't like Andy I just don't like the feeling at a new house, new town, new people, and a new life.

"SUSANNAH SIMON!" she yells, obviously at my door. Knocking one time, she barges in with her little clogs on and her morning sweater. "Come downstairs! It's rude to leave everyone waiting for you!" She says looking at me unforgiving as if I am ruining her honeymoon high. I watch her as she walks to my bed and picks up the sheet and rips it clean of my body.

"Mom! Are you insane?" I screech, really underdressed in a t-shirt and my nighttime undies. I quickly fling my arms up to shield my bare legs.

"Oh honey, it's nothing I haven't seen before!" she chuckles, as she walks to the door. She grabs the doorknob and turns back to me. "And honey, I'm not insane." She begins to say as she lifts her ring finger with her new shiny rock on it. "I'm married!" she blurts out as she giggles her way out the room in obvious joy.

"Ugh." I say once again. "This is going to be a long day."

Later on That Day

Its half past noon and I am still stuck in this house. Brad, David, and Jake have all gone on their daily business of probably nothing. Well except for David, he seems to know a thing or two.

I have to get used to this dog too, Max. I've never had a living-breathing animal before especially as a pet. The only ones I've had were ones that I've made up in my mind. Pathetic I know.

The dog looks up at me as if he knows that I am talking about him. He comes up to me and licks my hand and I pet him softly not sure how to exactly approach such a happy dog.

"I can get used to you max, you're alright aren't you?" I say and he cocks his leg bag for a full belly rub. "Plus, You're kind of cute too."

Max seems to really like his massage, so much so that he closes his eyes, and begins to breathe evenly. "Max? Are you asleep?" I say as I nudge him softly with my pointer finger. Sure enough he doesn't budge a bit. I chuckle, "David was right when he said that anything can knock you out."

Suddenly I hear something drop from somewhere in the house. Max and I's heads snap up with impeccable timing. "Stay here Max." I say as he looks at me with drowsy confusion, his tongue slightly hanging out his mouth. I pet his head and I get up from the stool and start to walk in the direction of the crash. I am almost certain that it came from upstairs. But who would investigate anything without a weapon right? Right! I quickly tip toe over by the coat rack to grab the sharpest umbrella just in case anything started to get crazy. I know that an umbrella isn't the most frightening but its something.

I turn around with the umbrella and sure enough there is max breathing heavy as if he had just run a marathon. "Max!" I harshly whisper, "I told you to stay."

He cocks his head to the side with ears up and everything as he looks at me with utter fascination. "Okay, come on then. What are you waiting for?" I say as I reach the bottom of the stairs. I start to walk my way upstairs with quietest footsteps I can muster. As I reach the top I notice that my door is cracked, which is not the way I left it.

"Dios Mio, What have I done?" I hear coming from my room. What is going on in there?

Max bumps into my leg lunging me into my room head and umbrella first. "OW! What in the heavens name?" I say as I rub my head from hitting the doorframe. "Max, I told you to STAY!" I say as I look up towards my window to see some kind of Spanish Conquistador standing in front of it clear as day. He must be a ghost from the eerie luster of his skin.

He looks up at me with utter dismay. "You can see me?" he whispers lowly.

"Yeah I can see you. Who the hell are you?"


	3. Monday: Muchacho Hector

**Chapter 3: Muchacho**

I looked at him with the most crazed look in the world. The fall to the ground must have really boggled my brain because there was no way this 'Senor" was crazy enough to be in MY room.

I reached for my head to make sure the damage wasn't bad enough that makeup couldn't cover. "Ugh…" rubbing the knot on my head. "This is going to be really cute at school on Monday, thanks a lot _muchacho_."

I must have gotten him the muchacho thing because he instantly perked up and gave me a look I could not recognize. "I am not a _muchacho_ senorita!" he mumbled out, while crossing his arms around his chest.

"Well, you sure confused me, with the clothes and all." I laughed, yes laughed, I mean who wouldn't? "What is your name?" I asked, getting back to the task at hand.

"Hector De Silva, of Spain, but my friends and close familia call me Jesse, you may call me Jesse….miss?" He responded with his chest slightly puffed out and his voice very proper, well I guess somebody takes their family name very seriously.

"Alright, Hector. What are you doing here? What do you need? I feel a nap coming on after this head knocking that's happened." I said as I walked to sit on my bed.

"I said you may call me Jesse…Miss?" he pondered looking for me to fill in the blanks.

"I am nor your friend, and my name is Suze." I responded really getting annoyed with his innocent questions.

"Suze? Short for Susann-" He began to ask.

"-ah, yes. As in don't you cry for me." I responded naturally. Damn, why was I feeding into him like I didn't have a life to get back to. I really need to find out why he is here, so I can get back to my stupid little Carmel, Californian life. Not like it was an impressive life or anything like that.

"Hector, why are you here? Now if it's about some chick we can get this over with quick." I said, assuming that some lady problems were at mind. He was pretty cute, but nonetheless a ghost so it's not like it mattered. I've never found someone dead attractive before, so why now? What's up with this guy? I scanned him one more time trying to find something about him that was abnormal. But, nothing came to mind. He was tall, id give him that. Maybe 6'2", darn does that make me feel short at 5'7". He was Hispanic, by his thick accent and the way he wore his hair. It had a curl to it, like the kind you see with people who don't need to go to the salon for hours to get a perfect curl. His hair was already perfect, as well as his face. It was not aged a bit, he was quite young for a ghost, but I have seen younger, bless their souls! He had to be at least 20, that's for sure. But who knows how long he has been twenty. I noticed that he had a tiny scar below his eyebrow. How I saw it I don't know, I must have been examining him for a long time because he was waving his hand in front of my face. What is he doing? Trying to give me a high-five?

"Hello? Susannah?" he waved trying to obviously get my attention.

"Whoa! I apologize were you saying something?" I asked trying to cover up my pure embarrassment. Darn and my cheeks began to turn red. Why am I such a girl?

"I was saying Susannah, that I was born in 1850 and I have been killed. The killers long gone, so I do not see a reason for me to still reside here. I don't think you can be much help to me." He said, with confidence, as if he were content about being a ghost. He then walked over to my bench by the window and sat down.

"Well, why are you here then? Like in my room?" I asked, confused.

"I have been here for years. I have seen families come and go. I have seen people grow and prosper, and fester in pain. I have watched my own family grow and pass. Yet, I seem not to move on myself. I am confused myself as how you can see me. This has happened only once before. But never by a woman. " He said, obviously in pure shock.

Wait! "You said someone else could see you? WHO? Tell me!" I asked, frantic to meet another person like me! I must know why I am like this!

"Father Dominic, the disciple at the school Mission. He is rather kind; he lets me stay from time to time. He has made this eternal rest a little easier." He smiled, rather proud of his friend. He got up and looked out the window.

"Your family is home. I must go." He said, as he looked back at me.

"Wait! Where are you going?" I asked, still shocked about another like me.

"Where I belong. The Church." He said, and he dematerialized. The sound of him leaving like chimes blowing in the wind.


End file.
